Horse-drawn vehicle.



J. P. BROWNLEE.

HORSE DRAWN VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25. 1914.

Patented May 4, 1915.

WI UVESSES IIVVEAITOI? 75 ATT UNITE SATES FATNT FFXCE.

JOSEPH P. nnownnnn, or EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, TO THE STUD BA ER. 'conronarron, or scorn BEND, INDIANA, a conronarron or NE JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented a a, 1915.

Application filed June 25, 1914. Serial No. 847,214.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Josnrrr P. BuowNLEn, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at E anston, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse-Drawn Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in horse drawn vehicles having two wheels, and the object of my inventionis to provide means by which the horse motion incident to the operation'of such vehicles may be overcome or minimized. I accomplish this result by transversely dividing the shafts intermediate the connection of the shaft with the vehicle and their connection with the saddle harness of the horse, and by uniting said divided. sections by elastic means adapted to yield to horse movement and neutralize the same in the operation of-the vehicle, s'ucl 1 elastic means being so adjusted that when its forces are equally balanced, that is in equilibrium, the sections of the sha'ft are'maintained in longitudinal alinement, but when in the operation of the vehicle, horse motion is imparted to the shaft, the elastic means referred to yields to such horse motion and in a measure compensates for the same in a way to make the movement of the vehicle more stable and hence more agreeable. I prefer to in'terpose a hinge between the divided sections of the shafts, so that the shafts have movement in respective planes, which plan-es are approximately at right angles to a plane passing through the shafts.

I have illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings designating the parts by numerals and referring to like parts by like numerals.

.Figure 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail in side elevation, Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the lines 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4-4 Fig. 2.

1 is a wheel of which there are two, mounted on the axle 2; 3 is one end of a shaft of which there aretwo, one end of each of said shafts being secured to the axle 2; 1 is a suitable seat; 5 is a spring of which there are two interposed between the seat and the axle; 6 is a foot rest secured between the shafts; 7 is a dashboard, the shafts are transversely divided at 10-10 thus forming two sections, 3 indicating the the shafts; 1111 are plates secured to either side of the sections of the shafts 3 and 8 by suitable bolts as 12, these plates 11 protrude beyond the ends of the shaft sections and are pierced by a bolt as 13 secured by a nut as 1% thus forming a hinge connection between the sections of the shaft.

15- and 15 are bails embracing the shaft and hinge plates, the arms of said bail pass through the connecting plates 16 and are secured by the nuts 17.

1818 of which there are two for each shaft are springs preferably of the form indicated having a straight end as 19 secured to one of the sections by the bolt 27, the other end of said spring being bowed as at 20 and 21, the bails 22 are provided with, the bifurcated arms 23-23, through which pass the bolts 26,one end of the spring 18, Le. 21 embracing the'bolt' 26 by which it is secured to one section oftlie shaft and the other end beingbound to the other section of the shaft by the bolt 27 these springs 18 of which there are two for each sliaftare mountedon opposite sides of each shaft so that their tension is oppositely disposed and so that they and the hinge operate in planes substantially parallel and at right angles to a plane extended through the two shafts, their structure and mountings are similar and therefore a description of one will sufiice for both.

In the operation of vehicles of this nature, a horse is provided with harness including a suitable saddle having stirrups or tug straps and a belly band, the stirrups adapted to receive the shafts and to be retained in position thereon by the detents as 9-9 but any suitable harness connection may be employed. In some cases shafts are not utilized for draft purposes but only to support the vehicle, in such case draft is accomplished through appropriate traces having suitable connections, in other forms the shaft is utilized for both draft and support.

' In either case however the body of the horse is secured to the shafts adjacent the saddle, and with the movement of the horse a motion is imparted to the shafts and thence communicated to the vehicle which in the operation of two wheeled vehicles is known normal alinement, the movement of the sections being limited as stated within parallel planes at right angles to a plane passing through the shafts. The result is that what may be characterized as a wave movement is set up by the horse motion which is met and counter-balanced by the elastic means interposed between the sections, to the end that the movement of the vehicle is more stable and hence more agreeable.

I have described and claimed the invention as the same may be applied toa plurality of shafts, but I do not intend to limit my claims to such construction for it will be obvious that I may employ a single shaft interposed between a pair of horses suitably harnessed, this system being understood in the art.

' What I claim is 1. A two-wheeled horse drawn vehicle having shafts secured to the axle and adapted to be secured to the saddle harness, said shafts transversely divided intermediate the aXle and saddle connections and united by hinges operating in a plane passing approximately through the longitudinal center of the shafts, leaf springs, two permanently secured to two of said sections of the shafts which are opposite on one side thereof and two permanently secured to the opposite sections on the opposite side thereof, said. springs being looped and pivotally secured to the opposite sections of the shafts so that the tension of said springs is opposed, o crating normally to maintain the shafts in longitudinal alinement, but adapted to yield to horse motion.

2. A two-wheeled horse drawn vehicle having shafts secured to the axle and adapted to be secured to the saddle harness, said shafts transversely divided intermediate the axle and the saddle connection and united by hinges operating in a plane passing approximately through the longitudinal center of the shafts so that the movement of the shafts is in the arc of a circle about the aXis of the hinges, elastic means suitably mounted, in reverse position, on opposite sides of the shafts and between the sections thereof with their tension directed to maintain the sections normally in longitudinal alinement, and opposed to the movement of the shafts in their common are of a circle about the axis of the hinges.

Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 19th day of June, 1914.

JOSEPH P. BROWNLEE.

Witnesses:

JOHN F. CoT'rnR, ROBERT C. PORTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissionen of Patents; Washington, D. G. 

